The application claims the priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 9-362026 filed on Dec. 11, 1997 which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope system, particularly to an electronic endoscope system constituted so that a scope (electronic endoscope) is connected to a processor unit to display an unconnected scope.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electronic endoscope system is constituted so that a scope (electronic endoscope) having a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) at its front end is connected to a processor unit for processing images by a connector and it is possible to set a plurality of scopes of the same type or a plurality of scopes of different types to the processor unit. Therefore, the data intrinsic to each scope on optical characteristics of an objective optical system or characteristic of a CCD is transmitted to a processor unit through communication.
The intrinsic data includes the information for colors and gains (amplification degrees) for image processing and the information for IDs (Identities). In the processor, predetermined image processing of video signals and processing for displaying images on a monitor screen are executed in accordance with these intrinsic data and moreover, operational functions of operating buttons are set.
In the case of the data communication between the scopes and the processor unit, intrinsic data may not be smoothly transmitted due to imperfect connection of a connector portion for connecting them. Therefore, the processor unit stores standard data for processing so that an image processed in accordance with the standard data is displayed on a monitor even under an imperfect-connection state. Therefore, when no intrinsic data is transmitted, the indication of the monitor frequently becomes an abnormal state and inversely, it is decided by the abnormal indication that connection is imperfect. Of course, no image is displayed unless a video signal is transmitted. Thereby, it is possible to know imperfect connection.
However, it can be hardly said that the above structure provides an easy manipulability because imperfect connection of a connector portion must be checked through the indication state of a monitor. Moreover, when the function of an operating button depends on the scope to be connected, a state is also considered in which a predetermined operation cannot be performed because intrinsic data is not communicated.
Furthermore, the following trouble may occur from the viewpoint different from the above mentioned. That is, setting of operational conditions to the above intrinsic data is performed in accordance with various data values (such as program, conditional value, and set value) stored in a ROM (Read Only Memory) set to the processor unit. In recent years, however, the version of the ROM is upgraded in accordance with the update of functions of an endoscope.
However, though the version information of the ROM is described in the specification, it is impossible to easily obtain the information from the system. The ROM version information is necessary to check the type of a scope which can be connected, decide whether a peripheral unit such as a printer can be connected, or replace the ROM and it is convenient if the version information can be easily obtained from the system.